Kraken Part 3: Skin Tones

I've started on the skin tone for the Kraken model.  I have been struggling with skin recently, I felt like since I have started trying to paint seriously that I've gone through an evolution with skin where I did a really good job with it, and since then I've gotten progressively worse to the point now where every skin I paint looks like shit.

I have no idea what this is caused by.  I have introduced some new colours as my base tones for skin, so perhaps that is a contributing factor.  I need to really slow down and focus on each area and make sure I have enough contrast and clear understanding of the light direction.  And make it smoother.

I am on a timeline for painting this guy.  I have a commission I would like to get finished before my trip to Steamcon, but this guy obviously has to be finished for it also!  I have a bit of time up my sleeve as I am taking my paints with me on the trip, so I will be able to work a little bit on him overseas, but I'd like the majority of work to be completed.

Boring update I know, but I have just got back from a whirlwind trip interstate.  Had a blast, but back to the daily grind now!

Kraken Part 2: Basing Continued

Thanks for continuing to read my drivel!

Tonight's post I am going to discuss an idea that I came across. Now one thing about me, when I get an idea in my head, I tend to go pretty crazy on that idea until I achieve it.  As an example, I am going to talk about microbeads.

I read about these microbeads on another blog that I follow: Sproket's Small World. This guy David Soper has won two Slayer Swords, 20 years apart.  Guy has some of the cleanest and most beautiful smooth blending I've seen and he has some genuinely great ideas on his blog showing the way he does some things.

So as I said, I read the abovementioned blog he wrote about making waves and one of the little things he talked about was these microbeads.  Seems pretty easy to find, thinks me. I'll track some down tonight and order them online!  Three days later and for whatever reason, I could not find the correct type that I wanted to order online in Australia.  It was frustrating the fuck out of me.  I really wanted to get some of these beads because I genuinely feel like they add a lot to the final effect to make them look like actual waves.

Anyway I was just at work and found a little bead shop literally around the corner from me today, trundled over there and lo and behold, at this shitty little craft shop I found exactly what I was after.

In this picture you can see the scale of what I got.  They are ridiculously tiny and for this amount I paid like 12c.  Lol. I spent three days and my lunchbreak to purchase a 12c item.

Anyway so here is the base after adding the melted plastic to create the shape of the waves, and adding some Vallejo water effects gel.

And here, if you look very closely, you can see the microbeads that I've embedded into this first layer.  During each stage of layering on the Water Effects I plan to add a few more, creating what will look like air bubbles or water droplets. I've never done this before, so I've literally no idea how it will come out! 

I left it, went away for dinner and came back to add a second layer of the water effects, more microbeads and painting some of the other details.

And now the final decision before I begin the last layers of water effects, to varnish the edges, add the last layers of pigments and try and unify the whole....  Do I add this tree or not?

Upcoming Projects

I am basically going to type up posts on this blog whenever I feel like it. I have no specific schedule for entries, and if I feel like writing about something I will.  Today I have a couple of ideas for posts I wanted to go with.

This one is all about my upcoming projects.  Rather than only gibber about them, as well here is pictures of all the models I have bought and have either received or should have in the next few weeks!


First cab off the rank... Atlantis Miniatures.  I try to follow as many miniature companies as I can on Facebook and Twitter and everywhere I can. Some of them have started through Kickstarter, and that is how I stumbled upon Atlantis.  Most models out in the miniature industry have the slightly exaggerated, GWesque "heroic" scale for their miniatures, whereas these ones to me focus slightly more on realism.  The poses are dynamic, but believable, with very lifelike texturing and shapes.

I picked a bunch of them that I liked. Will let you know how I enjoy painting them once I get started.

Next manufacturer I have purchased from is Aradia Miniatures. FYI this isn't alphabetical.  I have just been on the site and I now have mad ragret because I only ordered one model, as a couple of the others were sold out at the time.  

This is the guy I got, I loved the dynamism of the sculpt, and the musculature on his torso. 

These two were sold out and now they arent and I want them... :(

The next manufacturer is one that will be common to most wargamers, Avatars of War.  They've been around a very long time, back since my days of Warhammer!  I was chatting about the good old days of Warhammer with my OzMachine crew and we all got super excited about Fantasy models.  Eventually it ended up with me ordering a pile of Avatars of War to put together a small "unit" to paint. A few of the ones I ordered are here:

One of my favourite manufacturers since I've been more heavily involved in the painting side of things is Nocturna Models.  They have got extremely high quality casts and I really enjoy the detailing and subjects of their sculpts.   I've already painted two of their models, the Priest, and the Crusader, and I added another one to my collection:

This is Luz, one of their Malefic range, based on artwork done by Luis and Romulo Royo. Intense, dark artwork, with sculpts that are really unique. I am looking forward to getting my teeth into this one.  I am going to try and paint something that has more colour and pops, but is still that same sort of dirty and dark style.

Next up is a fantastic range of miniatures that is really setting the world alight... the Black Sailors by Big Child Creatives.  Look, I'll be honest. It was a personal challenge for me not to simply buy every single model in this range. I love Orcs, I love pirates, and I even love Undead and there is an Undead Orc Pirate captain... fucking awesome.  But I held some self control, there is plenty of time for me to buy the complete range!  So I chose one, probably their most iconic and widely recognized piece, Papa Jambo, the Mighty Shaman bust:

Another favourite of mine is Scale75, a Spanish company that has some of the best resin sculpts I've seen.  I already painted one of their busts, Jessica Thunder, it is probably my best piece of work so far.  I ordered a number of new models of theirs to paint, here they are:

I also stumbled across a site called El Greco Miniatures, a UK company that collects models from a number of manufacturers and on sells them.  I trawled through their pages and found the following models that I liked:

I had this idea that I would buy all the Game of Thrones busts and paint them all up. I am sure many people had the same idea.  

I just really like this dudes textures, and I want to paint more busts.

Utterly jaw dropping model from Draconia, a range from Ares Mythologic.

So that is my next few months, all set up for great models to paint!  If you have any suggestions for cool models I could buy, feel free to let me know.  Usual spots, Twitter, comment here.

Kraken, Part 1: Steamcon Painting Competition Entry

As regular followers of mine on Twitter would know I recently won the Australian Nationals in Guild Ball and as a result I won a free trip over to the UK to attend Steamcon, the first event run by Steamforged Games showcasing their products and staff.  I am very blessed to have this opportunity, and I have decided to make the most of it.  I've been on a number of international trips recently, and as I am soon to be married, I have no plans to travel to Europe again without my partner.  And since I have gotten involved more seriously in competition painting this year I decided to try and add in something I would not be able to do in Australia: a painting class with the guys from Massive Voodoo.

I knew it was short notice but thanks to the assistance of Roman and Raffa from MV, and the guys from Steamforged being very flexible with their flights, I have been able to arrange it!  I cannot express just how excited I am to be able to experience a private class in the Massive Voodoo studio, and learn from these extremely talented guys. I fly into Munich, travel to the beautiful city of Augsburg and spend two days painting and hopefully absorbing as much as I can,

After that I travel over to London to play the World Champs, and I figured since I am going all that way I might as well enter something into the Steamforged Master Painter Competition!

Here is the first few WIP shots of the entry.  The model is meant to be throwing a harpoon out from a cliff face, into the ocean.  I used a lot of rocks from the garden out the front of my house that have really nice shapes, I put them together kind of a like a puzzle, then filled in the gaps with a bit of milliput.  Added some textured paint, and some bits and pieces that I had lying around.  I added the tree, although I am not sure if that will make the final cut.





The base was sprayed black, and I then used several different layers of paint with the airbrush.  Cryx Bane Base, Vallejo Neutral Grey, Light Sea Grey and Deck Tan.  I used several different washes with both Scale75 paints heavily watered down (really great use for them, the ultra matt finish comes out perfect for the shadows), normal washes.  I highlighted up a little more, then pulled out some pigments and worked some green and brown into the rocks.

I sealed with Dullcote, and then added various flocks and stuff to the base.  I still have the various little objects left to paint, skulls, bucket, bottle and then I will put the base aside to start working on the Kraken.

Thanks for reading!  I'll be more interesting in future probably. Maybe not.

A Blog Arises

I've been around for a while.  Most of you know me, I'm kind of a big deal....  My apartment smells of rich... paint and superglue and all sorts of other things.  Anyway. I am going to use this blog to post WIPs, my thoughts on the hobby in more detail, and hopefully generate some interesting discussions.